Image: Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
There are many people who prefer not to go out anymore. Some like to spend their time sleeping in a dark room or listening to loud music on earphones.
But research has shown that your habits have a negative impact on your brain.
In this article, we will discuss 11 habits like these that damage your brain. Additionally, we will also learn how to overcome these habits.
Information in this article has been gathered from various research reports, including those from Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Neurological and Stroke Diseases in the United States.
Insufficient Sleep
According to the American Academy of Neurology, the most significant damage to our brain is caused by insufficient sleep.
Adequate sleep for adults means 7 to 8 hours of sleep within 24 hours. Experts say that continuous night sleep is better.
The brain rests after sleeping. Also, the brain forms new cells while sleeping. But if you sleep less than 7 hours, new cells are not formed.
Eventually, you remember nothing. You find it difficult to concentrate. Difficulty in decision-making. Lack of sleep also increases the risk of cognitive disorders.
If you want to protect your brain, there is only one solution. Get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
Eight hours of sleep is even better.
To do this, you need to go to bed at least an hour before sleeping. Do not use any device during this time.
Clean your bedroom before sleep to create a sleep-friendly environment. Dim the lights in the room. Make your bed, clothes, normal room temperature, everything neatly arranged.
Also, do not sleep with a cover over your face. This is because we take in oxygen into our bodies through the nose and release carbon dioxide gas.
This ongoing process causes CO2 to accumulate around your face. As a result, you may experience oxygen deficiency at night.
Skipping Breakfast
After not eating all night, breakfast provides the energy to function throughout the day. But many of us skip breakfast in the morning and skip something important.
Skipping breakfast reduces blood sugar levels, which affects the brain.
Not having breakfast day after day leads to brain damage, reduces cell efficiency.
Lack of nutrients makes it difficult for the brain to function normally.
Not Drinking Enough
Water 75% of our brain is water.
So keeping the brain moist is crucial for its optimal performance.
Lack of water causes brain tissues to shrink, and cells lose their function.
This can reduce the ability to think logically or make decisions.
According to experts, an adult should drink at least two liters of water per day to maintain brain health.
In this water consumption, depending on your weight, health, age, lifestyle, and climate, the amount may vary.
High-Stress Levels
Long-term stress causes brain cells to die, and the front part of the brain shrinks. It affects memory and our ability to think.
According to researchers, people who are always immersed in work. They can't say 'no' to others if they need to do something. Such people are more stressed.
But stop doing it right away. Avoid taking on extra burdens in any way.
Even when they are sick, some people continue to engage their brain in activities, otherwise, research has shown that it has long-term adverse effects on the brain.
Staying in one place for a long time can cause more stress.
Many of us have jobs that require us to sit all day.
Besides, we stay at home even on holidays. Not enough movement or handwork.
It increases the risk of heart and diabetes. Mental problems can also occur.
So to keep your brain healthy, exercise regularly, get up from your chair every half hour, you can set an alarm for this.
Run or walk for at least half an hour at least three days a week.
Excessive Google Usage
As you may remember, the previous generation often did small calculations without using calculators. He used to remember many phone numbers.
These habits are like brain exercises, which keep its thinking and memory capabilities strong for a long time.
But in our era, we don't need to remember much. Excessive reliance on technology has diminished our brain's own abilities.
Memory and thinking ability become weaker day by day.
If you want to keep your brain alert, try to remember things without using Google search, researchers suggest.
Apart from this, you can play various brain activity games. Like playing word scrambles, solving puzzles, etc.
Using Earphones All the Time
Listening to Loud Music Headphones or AirPods that you wear in your ears can harm you in less than 30 minutes.
Listening loudly or for a long time with loud noise can cause significant hearing loss.
It is also feared that when your hearing is damaged, it cannot be restored.
Hearing loss directly affects the brain.
According to US researchers, people with hearing loss are at risk of brain tissue damage. This increases their risk of memory loss
As a result, it becomes difficult to read and concentrate.
Think twice before using earphones in your ears or listening to your favorite song loudly.
If you listen to songs using earphones for a long time, do not increase the volume by more than 60%. Rest for an hour without using earphones in a row.
Being Alone All the Time
Not Interacting with People Talking to people is very important for the health of your brain.
Spending too much time alone is bad for your brain just like not getting enough sleep.
Having friends and family keeps our minds fresh.
Instead, loneliness increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and mental disorders.
If you want to keep your brain healthy, spend time with close friends and family regularly. But yes, they should be 'positive-minded people'.
Negative Thoughts and People
If you have a habit of thinking negative all the time, negative thoughts like nothing can happen to you, the state of the world is very bad, the future is dark, you are unlucky, it is dangerous for the brain.
Because negative thoughts create stress, depression, and anxiety on the other hand.
Also, Amyloid and Tau accumulate in the brain. Which is the main cause of memory and memory loss.
So try to stop negative thoughts immediately. Doing this regularly will become a habit.
If you can't do it alone, seek the help of a psychiatrist.
Avoiding bad friendships is also very important. Try to refrain from watching very bad news.
Spending Too Much Time in the Dark
Research in the United States has shown that people who spend too much time in the dark or spend a long time in closed places where there is not much light and air circulation put a lot of pressure on the brain.
Because the sunlight that comes out is very important for our brain. Otherwise, problems such as depression can occur.
To keep your brain in good health, you should go to the sun every day. Go outside. If you are at home, open doors and windows.
Overeating
Habit No matter how 'healthy' the food is, overeating can damage the brain.
Research has shown that overeating also clogs brain vessels and reduces blood flow.
